New Design from scratch- will become a laptop.Hole in the middle is along the ergo-lines but will hold perhaps a mouse-nipple, or volume control. Both of which will be design elements not territories. The border will be impassable along the diagonal.Assuming we go to only connected territories, rather than the whole hand connected thingo (which I like and will do) I like the way that we get some two-in-a-line territs, eg, qa, ws, ed, but no qs or wa connection... Spaces up those keys a little.

Black and Silver Design:

Last edited by Tieryn on Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:32 am, edited 80 times in total.

- Letters can only attack other keys on the same typing finger, and the space bar.
- Numbers can attack their function keys. (none for F10/11/12)
- Odd keyboard numbers can attack same numpad numbers
- Even numpad numbers can attack same keyboard numbers
- Similar directional arrows can attack each other.
- NumLock can attack any number on the NumPad
- Similar characters can attack each other, eg, Keyboard 8/* can attack NumPad *, same with + and - and /.
- Same keys can attack each other (Enter/Ctrl/Shift/Alt/Start)
- Also Ins/Del/Home etc connect to similar on NumPad. I may take out the links between backspace-insert, |-delete and others... comment?
- < has a one way attack left into M
- > has a one way attack right into ?
- ? can attack a random different territory each round (is this possible XML junkies?)

I've got to work out bonuses. I'm also going to have special bonuses for common key combinations, Ctrl+Alt+Del for example, or Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Y (some might be negatives), Shift+Tab etc

Also a bonus for holding all "Lock" keys (Caps/Num/Scrl/Func)

I was thinking perhaps a +1 to all function keys each round (since they are going to be real hard to defend) and maybe a -1 to Esc (as the armies Escape!)

Summary of map: I think the map says everything it needs to, so I shouldn't need to here, should I?

Black Keyboard:Old:

5.3:Another Ver:TooColoured:TooBright:First:

To Do:Colour green in grey and remove all wires up top - DoneAdd in some connections (but not all) back to function keys -

Balanced play. - I think I've compensated for this, but will have to run some sims to check. Chances are everyone will start with a function key, and hence some sort of extra bonus, but this is a -large- map and I can't forsee small bonuses at the start having a total impact on gameplay:

Reasonable bonus structure. Given the difficulty of holding each key (can be attacked from many places), I have used the forumula of +2 for every advancing set of combo's held, along the sequence 2,5,9,14,19 (difference inc by 1 each time). The word bonuses have been +1 for every key that does not exist as part of a shortcut (to cover doubling up on bonuses). The function keys get +1 per turn and Escape -2 per turn (as armies escape) That also makes holding 19 bonuses much harder as esc is required.

Game type flexibility. I would expect all games could be fun on this map

Player-friendliness. I think it's been made fairly understandable. Attack routes just need to be finished up the top.

Open-play. I could see many paths to victory, left handed, right handed, function down, ctrl-bonuses, start-bonuses, words,... anihilation...

Function trumps form. I think all the borders are clear (except need to update the top function ones). I think the concept of large, internally connected areas but still with some restriction on external connections hasn't been explored and think it would add an interesting aspect to gameplay on the site.. but hey, that's just me.

Features:Green Keys get incremental bonuses for holding them as shown.Function Keys get +1 per turn.Escape gets -2 per turn

I have re-adjusted the Key Shortcut bonuses to be more reasonable (I hope) and be on an incremental scale, to overcome the ease of holding multiple with few keys. Also, I hope this map can act as an educational tool in my campaign against the evil Mouse!

Have changed the words to make them all map-specific rather than random. Bonuses are calculated as-per below. Please check and comment.

Here's map 2.1, I use the retro one as it got most votes, and frankly, I prefer it too. I've coloured the keys, still need to add in the impassables and other connections, as well as the letters and army circles.

Draft:

Decided not to colour the function keys, as they won't be a continent, but instead get +1 per turn each.

How's it looking folks? any comments please?

Last edited by Tieryn on Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.